Can lifter and ice tongs



May 29, 1923. 1,457,238

G. VERGOTE CAN LIFTER AND ICE TONGS Filed Jan. 24 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 15? Z fly 4- ,zz f0" INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 29, 1923. 1,457,238

G. VERGOTE CAN LIFTER AND ICE TONGS Filed Jan. 24, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2zaafnak ffaaff INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1923. i

S ensravn vnneoraior MARSHALL, MrNnEsomA; i

i i NJJETEB earn marques.

a iicati'oii'fil a i iiiaiyl eawize. Shana; 5ai, sas.

To all whom it may mam. a l

1 Be it known that GUsTevE VE GO IS,f "a" citizen of the United States,"residing Marshall, in the county of Lyon and State of Minnesota, haveinvented ne and use ul Improveinentsin Can Lifters'andlce Tongs,

lot which the following is aspecification;

. Thisinventionrelates to carrying devices particularly ,to devices forjcarrying cans andithe like, and: has iorits object thepros vision ofnovel device so constructed as to enable an" operator to carry ice creamor other cansvconveniently Without the necesa -sityof touching the'canwith the hands. 7

{An important objectis the provision of a device of this character whichis provided 1 with automatically operated spring gripping means wherebythe devlce W llengage upon the can, means being also. provided ifor.re-'

leasing the gripping means to" permit the disen agement of the devicefrom the can.

stil l'another object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich might be easily constructed for use as an ice carrier as well as acan carrier, it being merely necessary in this instance to omit one ofthe carrying prongs,

An additional object is the provision ola device of this characterwhichwill be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy to use; whichbeingshort will greatly facilitate the carrying of cans bya man of shortstature, which will be highly eiiicient in use, durable in service and,a general improvement in the art. I I V 1', k 1 With the above and otherobjects and advantages in view, the invention consists in thedetails ofconstruction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in 1 which,

Figure 1 is a side elevationofthe device I showing it in engagementWithan ice-cream cally stormed and which is hollow;

Th s

head'isiormed at its upper end with "are duced extension 11 whichislikewisehollow ortubulal' and which is formed at diametrt callyopposite points with slots 12 and at other intermediate diametricallyopposite points with slots 13,,15'013' a purpose to bedescribed.Extending outwardly from, the

head 10 atftl e lower portion thereof is a plurality oflugs 1 1 arrangedin pairs, as clearly shown, and extending outwardly from the head 10' atdiametrically opposite points, in factinirnediately belowflthalargerSlQCS 13 are finger engaging lQops'l5- Pivoted between" the pairs oflugs 14 "is a plurality of. arms. 16 which arecurved as shown :and whichextend downwardly and ivhiclihave their lower ends provided "withinwardly extending projections 17 consti tutmghooks, These arms 16 arepivoted at 18 between the pairs of lugs 14 as clearly v disclosed andhave their upper ends ektendinto the interior of the head 'lO, "The arms16 are slotted at 16 for the passage of thepivots 18, the purpose beingtof perniit useof the device for carrying cans or articles a ofdifferent sizes. i r

Slidable longitudinally through the; head 10 and extension 11: is :abolt member 19 which has its lower end provided or formed .Wlthaplurality of spaced pairs of lugsQO within which the inner endsofthearms ,16 x

are pivoted by means of pivot pins 21 which pass through the lugs 2Q andthrough slots 22 in the inner or upper endsOf the arms .16.

flhe bolt member 19 is formed with an an nularprojection or flange 23against which abuts one end o a coil spring 24 wh ch has its other endseating againsta flangegor ojection 25 in the interior of. the headgthepurpose of this spring being to urge thebolt member 19-upwardly at alltimes. ltrwill be observed that owing to the Peculiar construction theupwardmovement ofthebolt member is limited by the engagement of he stopflanges. v

The upper end of the bolt membercarries an elongated loop like handle 26which is slidable through the larger slots 13' and j-which is providedwith laterally extending pins 27 which are slidable through the.

smaller slots12, and it is the bottom of this upper end of the boltmember which] is formed as the flange 23 as clearlydisclosed. Assumingthat the device has been constructed and assembledas above described,theoperation isa follows When the operator desires to lift out an icecream can from the ice-tub, it is necessary that he grasp'the handlemember 26 and press the device down into the ice tub,

the hooks, being beveled, passing over the can and the spring beingcompressed, When the operator subsequently pulls upwardly upon thehandle, it is apparent that the spring 24 will cause the arms 16 toswing,

press the loops '15toward the handle 26 whereupon the arms 16 will swingoutwardly out of engagement with the can.

The arms may be swung outwardly to engage cans of all sizes owing to theslot and'pivot connections. j A r r I In the drawings I have shown thedevice as provided with four arms 16 though it shouldbe understood thatonlyfthree' are really necessary! and the device might be so constructedif preferred. It is also'to be seen that in case it is so desired thedevice mi ht be formed with only two of the arms .16 in which event itwould be readily adapted for use in carrying blocks or cakes'of ice.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequentlyinexpensive device which is readily adapted for use in extractingice-cream cans from their packing of ice and transporting them to anydesired location without .it'being necessary in any way for the operatorto touch the cold cans. It'is also to be observed that the device isreadily capable of use for other similar purposes for extracting andlifting as well as carrying other articles or cans in addition'to icecream cans. Naturally, it is apparent thatthe device may be built in anyand all sizes depending upon the size and nature of the cans to behandled. v

While 'I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is of course to be understood that I 'reservethe right'tomake such changes in the form, con

struction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim. I v p l. Adevice of thecharacter described comprising a hollow head, aplurality of downwardlyextending arms pivotally connected with said head and terminatinginwardly extending hooks, a bolt member slidable through the head andpivo tally connected with the inner ends "of 'said arms, spring meansnormally swinging said arms with their inner ends inwardly, a handleconnected with said bolt member, andfinger engaging loops projectinglaterally from saidhead, I 1

2. A device of the character described comprising a hollow head, fingerengaging loops extending laterally from said'head, a

vbolt member slidable longitudinally within said head,a handle carriedby the upper end of said bolt member in alignment with said loops, meansfor preventing rotation of the handle member with respect to the head, a

series" of lugs arranged in pairs and extending laterally from th head,a plurality of downwardly extending arms (pivioted' between'said'lugsand having their inner ends extendin into the head and their lower orouter end ing' h ooks, said bolt member being pivotally connected withsaid inner ends of said'arms, and spring means normally urging said boltmember upwardly for bringing said arms into clamping relation. J

3. A device of the character, described comprising a hollow headprovided at oppo site sides with a pair of finger engaging loops, saidhead being formed at opposite s provided with inwardly extendsides withslots, av bolt member slidable longitudinallytlirough said head andhaving its upper end formed as a handle slidable through 'sald slots,said handle being in alignment with said finger engaging loops,

a plurality of. lugs arranged in pairs and extending radially! from saidhead, a plurality of downwardly extending arms pivoted between saidpairs of lugs and terminating at their lower ends in inwardly directedhooks and having their upper ends extending into the head, and pairs oflugs carried by the bolt'meinber and having'a slot and pin connectionwith the inner ends of said arms.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' I I 'GUSTAVEIVERGOTE.

